Semaphore-operating device.



No. 688,89l. Patented Dec. l7, I90l..

J. SHOECRAFT. SEMAPHORE OPERATING DEVICE.

- Application filed May 81, 1901.) (No Model.)

2 Sheen-Shoat a.

Wilryzsses No. 688,89l.

Patented Dec. l7, I90l. J. SHOECRAFT. SEMAPHOBE OPERATING DEVIBE.

(No Model.)

Application filed. May 81., 1901.)

2 Shoots-Sheet 2 NITED STATES ATENT FFlCF...

JUDSON SHOECRAFT, OF ESKRIDGE, KANSAS, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNEASSIGNMENTS, OF ONE-HALF TO XVARREN MARSHALL AND GEORGE SKINNER, OFESKRIDGE, KANSAS.

SEIVlAPHORE -OPERATlNG DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 688,891, dated December17, 1901.

Application filed May 31, 1901. Serial No. 62,630. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J UDSON SHOECRAFT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Eskridge, in the county of Wabaunsee and State of Kansas,have invented a new and useful Semaphore-Operating Device, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to semaphore-signal mechanisms used in connectionwith railways; and it has for its object to provide a constructionwherein the semaphore-arm will be quickly raised to the danger positionwhen a train enters a block and will be instantly lowered when the trainpasses from the block, a further object of the invention being to provide a construction wherein the movements of the semaphore-arm will bepositive.

An additional object of the invention is to so arrange the parts andcircuits that there will be an economical consumption of current, a'choking-coil or artificial resistance being introduced after the partshave been actuated to permit of only that flow of current as will retainthe parts in their adjusted positions, the shifting of the circuitsbeing done automatically.

In the drawings forming a portion of this specification, and in whichlike numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views,Figure 1 is a perspectiveview showing the complete mechanism. Fig. 2 isa side elevation of the operating mechanism. Fig. 3 is a transversesectional elevation of a portion of the same on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.Fig. 4 is a diagram illustrating the electrical connections.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a semaphore 10, which ispivotally mounted in the usual manner and to which is connected a rod11, which when raised moves the outer end of the arm downwardly againstthe tendency of 'a counterweight upon the semaphore-arm. To reciprocatethe rod to raise and lower the semaphore-arm, the lower end of the rodis pivoted to a segmental gear 12, which is mounted for oscillation in avertical plane upon a stub-shaft 13, engaged in a post 14, mounted uponthe baseplate 15, which carries the mechanism and which isdisposedwithin a suitable casing upon the semaphorepost. The counterweight ofthe semaphore-arm tends to hold the arm raised, and the segmental gearis also provided with a counterweight 17, which is so disposed as toaugment the action of the weight of the arm. Thus when the arm is movedinto lowered position it is against the tendency of these twocounterweights, and

this movement is accomplished by rocking rotation thereon, and to clutchit to the shaft at times, so that the segmental gear may be rocked byrotation of the motor-shaft, an electromagnetic clutch is provided. Thisclutch comprises a hub 21, which is fastened upon the shaft to rotatetherewith at all times and on which hub is secured a vulcanite or otherform of insulating annular carrier 22, upon the opposite faces of whichare secured the metal collector-rings 23 and 24. On the face of thecarrier adjacent to the motor are secured the two electromagnets 25 and26, and which magnets are connected in series between the twocollector-rings, as shown in the diagram, Fig. 4. To the end of thepinion 20 adjacent to the electromagnets is secured an iron disk 27,which forms a common armature for the two electromagnets, and when theelectromagnets are energized the disk is drawn into engagement with thepoles thereof and is held with such force that if the motor be rotatedthe disk will rotate with the motorshaft, and consequently will carrythe pinion with it to rock the segmental gear. When the magnets aredenergized, the disk is released, and the pinion being then free torotate there is nothing to hold the segmental gear against rotation, andin consequence it drops to its original position under the influence ofthe counterweights. To move the disk positively from the poles of themagnets, to which it may have a tendency to stick because of residualmagnetism, a helical spring 28 is disposed upon the shaft and bears atits opposite ends against the end of the hub of the clutch and theadjacent face of the disk, the disk being moved by the magnets againstthe tendency of this spring. Therocking movement of the segmental gearis limited by the stops 29, carried thereby and which are disposed toengage opposite faces of the post 14, upon which the gear is mounted.

In order that the circuit of the motor may be broken when the semaphorehas been moved to its lowered position and that there may be an economicuse of current while the arm is lowered, a switch is provided comprisingthe fixed contact 80, which is connected with one of the leading-inbinding-posts 31, and engaged with the under side ofthis contact, whichis in the form of a Z-shaped plate, are the spring contact-fingers 32and 33, one of which, 32, is connected by wire 34 with one binding-post35 of the motor. The other finger, 33, is connected by wire 36 with abrush 37, which makes contact with one of the collector-rings ot' themagnetic clutch, a brush 38 being in contact with the othercollectorring and having electrical connection through wire 39 with thesecond binding-post 40 of the motor, this second binding-post of themotor being connected by wire 41 with the second leading-in-wirebinding-post 42. Thus the motor and the clutch are connected in multiplebetween the leading-in binding-posts.

The segmental gear carries a circuit-breaking finger 43, which projectsat right angles thereto, and when the gear has moved to lower thesemaphore arm this finger engages the contact-fingers of the switch anddepresses them to break the circuits of both the motor and clutch.Should the clutch be deenergized at this time, however, the armaturethereof would be permitted to rotate, and therewith the pinion, so thatthe segmental gear would return to its normal position to raise thesemaphore-arm. To insure adegree of energy in the clutch therefore whenthe circuit is broken at this point, a shunt is provided around theswitch and includes a resistance-coil 44, one end of which is connectedby wire 45 with the fixed contact of the switch, while the otherterminal is connected by wire 46 with the brush 37. Thus when the director low resistance circuit of the clutch is broken the entire current isshunted through the resistance-coil, which permits only such a flow ofcurrent as is required to hold the disk from rotating against thetendency of the electromagnets of the clutch. With the arm in loweredposition there is of course a tendency to reverse rotation of themotor-shaft, and to prevent this the shaft is provided with a ratchet48, in cooperative relation to which is pivoted a pawl 49, which hangsnormally in engagement with the ratchet, and while permitting ofrotation of the motor-shaft in a di being also connected with itsterminals to the V track-rails, so that while normally the entirecurrent from the battery passes through the relay when a train enters ablock,includingthe rails, the battery is short-circuited through thewheels and axles of the train. One point 54 of the relay is connected bywire 55 with one of the leading-in binding-posts of the apparatus, whilethe other point is connected by wire 56 with the other bind ing-postthrough a battery 57.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: The circuit of the battery57 being closed through the clutch and motor by action of the relay-whenthe block is clear the disk of the clutch is attracted and held to themagnets to clutch the pinion to the motorshaft and at the same time themotor rotates and the segmental gear is rocked in one direction to raisethe gear and lower the arm against the tendency of the counterweights.When the gear has moved sufficiently far to lower the arm, thestriker-finger on the gear engages the contact-fingers of the switch'anddepresses them to break the circuit of the motor and the directlow-resistance circuit of the clutch. The motor then stops, but as'uffieient quantity of current flows through the clutch-magnets to holdthe disk, and therewith the pinion, against return movement, this flowbeing by way of the shunt and through the high resistance therein. Whena train enters the block, the relay-battery is gized the contactsthereof separate, thus breaking the circuit of the battery 57. Theclutch-magnets are then deenergized so that they release the diskarmature, which is then free to rotate, and the segmental gear being nolonger held against rotation it moves downwardly and the semaphore-armquickly rises. When the train passes from the block,

, short-circuited, and the relay being deenerthe whole current of therelay-battery again passes through the relay, with the result that thecircuit of battery 57 is again closed through the motor and clutch andthe semaphore-arm is again lowered in the same man ner as abovedescribed.

It will be understood that in practice m0di= fications ot' the specificconstruction shown may be made and that any suitable materials andproportions may be used for the various parts without departing from thespirit of the invention.

What is claimed is- 1. The combination with a semaphore, of an electricmotor, means forimparting motion from the motor to the semaphore,including an electromagnetic clutch, a battery in the circuit of whichthe clutch and motor are connected in multiple, a switch operable by themotor to break the circuits of the motor and clutch, and a shunt for theclutch around the switch and including an artificial resistance.

2. The combination with a semaphore of an electric motor, an oscillatorygear connected with the semaphore, for actuating it, a pinion on themotor-shaft with which the gear is engaged, an electromagnetic clutchcomprising a member fixed to the motor-shaft and a member loose thereonand attached to the pinion, a battery in the circuit of which the motorand clutch are connected in multiple,a switch controlled by the motorfor breaking the circuit of the motor and clutch at a point, and a shuntfor the clutch around the switch and including an artificial resistance.

3. The combination with a semaphore, of an oscillatory segmental gearconnected therewith, means for holding the gear normally at one limit ofits movement to hold the semaphore correspondingly, a motor, a pinionmounted loosely upon the motor-shaft and having an armature attachedthereto, an electromagnet fixed upon the shaft and in the field of whichthe armature is disposed to hold the pinion to rotate with the shaft attimes,

an electric motor, means forimparting motion from the motor to thesemaphore in one direction and including an electromagnetic clutch, abattery in the circuit of which the motor and clutch are connected inmultiple, a switch controlled by the motor for opening the motorcircuit,means for returning the semaphore mechanism when disengaged from themotor,

and means for holding the motor against reverse movement under theinfluence of said returning means.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JUDSON sHoEonAFT.

- Witnesses:

GEO. H. CHANDLER, HARVEY T. WINFIELD.

